I'll Always Be Your Brother

Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan Bülbül

This project is a 10-episode mini-series podcast along with its supplementary content that tells the story of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, a distinct branch of the Rastafari faith, led by Niah (Nyah) Keith Gordon in early 1970s Jamaica. The story is narrated by Alan, an old church member, a close friend, and confidant of Niah. During a very historical and turbulent period in Jamaican history, the church spearheaded the movement of marijuana from Jamaica to the USA to uplift Jamaicans not only financially, but educationally, and spiritually. The church aimed to provide a living example of the works of Marcus Garvey and to promote a spiritual and historical understanding of African heritage and culture.

The project aims to provide an accurate portrayal of the church's history in contrast to the manipulative and misleading content produced by American mainstream media in the 70s. It promises to be an exciting, adventurous, spiritual, and informative story filled with historical facts and highlighting the political environment of that time.

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Society & CultureSociety & Culture

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I’ll Always Be Your Brother is a 10-part mini-series podcast that explores the true story of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church. An offshoot of the Rastafari faith based in Jamaica, the church, under the leadership of Niah (Nyah) Keith Gordon, uplifted the lives of Jamaican people financially, educationally and spiritually during the 1970s. Playing an important role in the spreading of Marcus Garvey and Pan-Africanist thought, the group rose to prominence due to their radical actions in transporting Ganja (marijuana) into the United States of America. Told through the eyes of Alan, a white American hippie who found himself in Jamaica and soon became a close confidant of Niah, this series strives to provide an accurate portrayal of the church’s history - dispelling the misleading and manipulative content produced by the mainstream American media at the time. Resulting in one of the first legal attempts at legalizing Ganja, this series promises to be an exciting, adventurous, spiritual, and informative story filled with historical facts and political insights. Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e0CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay BatchOriginal Photo of Niah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

I’ll Always Be Your Brother is a 10-part mini-series podcast that explores the true story of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church. An offshoot of the Rastafari faith based in Jamaica, the church, under the leadership of Niah (Nyah) Keith Gordon, uplifted the lives of Jamaican people financially, educationally and spiritually during the 1970s. Playing an important role in the spreading of Marcus Garvey and Pan-Africanist thought, the group rose to prominence due to their radical actions in transporting Ganja (marijuana) into the United States of America. Told through the eyes of Alan, a white American hippie who found himself in Jamaica and soon became a close confidant of Niah, this series strives to provide an accurate portrayal of the church’s history - dispelling the misleading and manipulative content produced by the mainstream American media at the time. Resulting in one of the first legal attempts at legalizing Ganja, this series promises to be an exciting, adventurous, spiritual, and informative story filled with historical facts and political insights. Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e0CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay BatchOriginal Photo of Niah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E1. First Spliff

E1. First Spliff

“First Spliff” provides vital context into who Alan was before he stepped foot onto the island of Jamaica. From early childhood in 50s Detroit to his first spliff in 60s rural Iowa, we follow Alan’s journey of draft dodging and Berkeley hippie politics. The episode culminates with his pinnacle sojourn across the country, hitchhiking from Berkeley to Miami with $120 to his name and one goal in mind: get to Jamaica.Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e1CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay BatchPhoto in the cover art by Mark Susina Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E2. Arabs Have Oil, Americans Have Timber, Our Wealth Is Ganja

E2. Arabs Have Oil, Americans Have Timber, Our Wealth Is Ganja

Touching down in Kingston, Jamaica, on a warm 1972 night, the twenty-something-year-old Alan encounters a world foreign to him. Making his way to Brother Louv’s Rasta Camp, Alan is met with the revelation that his arrival was expected. Believing this is a great adventure, Alan decides to stay and learn more about this fledgling movement - the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church. Despite sickness, police raids and even deportation, he finds himself enthralled. The longer he stays, the more his thinking changes. Brother Niah Keith - the Jamaican leader of the Church - explains that their mission, inspired by the prophecies of Marcus Garvey, is to build a Black Kingdom. But how are these impoverished Rastas supposed to build such a kingdom? Well, see the title.Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e2CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay BatchPhoto in the cover art by Paul Von Baich - The old Kingston Road, Oxford University Press 1980 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E3. This is a Battle, This is the Battlefield

E3. This is a Battle, This is the Battlefield

How can a poor Rasta community, based in the most rural and mountainous parish of Jamaica, ever dream to build a "Kingdom"? Weaving together intense action and spiritual insight into the will of the human mind, Alan recounts the humble beginnings of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church's mighty operation. Filled with ingenious solutions and strikingly frank honesty, Episode 3 explores the bold growth of the Church. Concluding with a profile of the warm and wise figure that was Brother Niah Keith, we aim to show how he inspired people with the actualisations of his teachings.Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e3CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay Batch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E4. The Man with the Golden Heart

E4. The Man with the Golden Heart

When Jamaican Prime Minister and leader of the People's National Party, Michael Manley, came to power in 1972, he instituted a series of socialist socio-economic reforms. His domestic policy sent Jamaica’s middle and upper classes, whose wealth was widely accumulated during a Colonial age where the poor were exploited, into a panic. The Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, sensing an opportunity to transfer the elite’s wealth into the poor’s hands, embarked on a campaign that would help the wealthy move their fortunes outside of the country whilst simultaneously investing that capital into the hands of farmers and workers. With the wealth of the Jamaican elite at their disposal, the church could support local businesses and promote self-reliance, in accordance with Marcus Garvey's principles.Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e4CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay Batch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E5. Loco Weed, Mucho Bien

E5. Loco Weed, Mucho Bien

With supplies of Ganja running low in Jamaica and a fruitful harvest months away, the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church journeyed to Colombia to bridge the gap in production. Despite the operation's success, the Church's elders soon realized that the Colombians' methods and motives did not align with their doctrine, and that the spreading of Rasta Doctrine was more important than a physical kingdom. Returning to Jamaica and cutting business ties with the Colombians, we follow the immense growth of the Church in this short 10-month window. Episode 5 rises to climax with the construction and subsequent opening celebration of the Church's new central temple headquarters in St. Thomas, Jamaica, the "Coptic Heights."Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e5CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay BatchCoptic Heights photo from Egypt MigrationsNotting Hill Recordings by Iben Ton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E6. Going Public

E6. Going Public

When the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church's "embassy" in Miami is swamped by American media, one would be forgiven for believing the overzealous Jamaican church had finally flown too close to the sun. However, never inclined to conservatism or small thinking, the leadership of the church, under Brother Niah Keith, decide to be honest with the world. Designating the white brother, Thomas Riley, known to the media as Brother Louv, as the Church's PR man, Episode 6 follows the group's foray into the public lens. Detailing unfortunate busts, American law enforcement actions, American media bias and the church's open defence of Ganja as good and proper, the stakes rise ever higher in the latter half of this mini-series.Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e6CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay Batch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E7. Top Gun Maverick

E7. Top Gun Maverick

With Babylon breathing down their necks, the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church resolved to continue their transportation operation, regardless of the US government's attempts to halt them. Resorting to the use of aeroplanes to fly Ganja in and out of the Jamaican island, Episode 7 reveals thrilling anecdotes and reflections. New runways, new planes, new characters and new brush-ups with the government; will prove to make "Top Gun Maverick" an exciting consideration on a tumultuous period of Alan, and the Church's, life.Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e7CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay Batch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E8. Church V State

E8. Church V State

In this episode, Alan revisits and reflects upon the final months of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church's active days. With all of the Church's US legal issues consolidated into one formidable Federal case, the Church attempted to disprove the notion that Ganja is harmful. Pushing for the recognition of Ganja as their rightful sacrament, we learn how close the Church came to realising a feat that was only achieved decades later; the legalisation of marijuana. Returning to Jamaica, we learn of Brother Niah's passing and discuss at length the impact he had on Alan, the Church, and all those around him.Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e8CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay Batch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E9. Africa Is a State of Mind

E9. Africa Is a State of Mind

In their penultimate conversation, Alan and Benji look both backwards and forwards, inwards and outwards. Quizzed by Benji on the physical dissipation of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, especially after Niah's death, Alan proves to be profoundly optimistic. He demonstrates how the kingdom is indeed alive today, even surpassing the coastal borders of Jamaica. Alan entrusts to us, the audience, the future of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church. He unpacks how the Church's teachings apply to the modern world and the everyday reality, imbuing in us Niah's core message: everything is in the mind. Alan gives some final thoughts on his time in Jamaica and exploring the rest of the world, then concludes with his journey to Africa and his eventual settling there.Where to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e9CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay BatchPhoto from Coptic Times Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E10. No Matter What You Think of Me, I'll Always Be Your Brother

E10. No Matter What You Think of Me, I'll Always Be Your Brother

Sitting down for a final candid conversation, Benji and Taylan have the opportunity to question Alan on their lingering thoughts in regard to the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church. The two are able to share some of their own opinions as the three wrap up the story of Alan’s time in Jamaica. Covering everything from the succession of the EZCC’s leadership to Marcus Garvey’s chants and how this podcast got its name, we thank you for reaching this point together with us. It has been a journey of love, brotherhood and faith, and we hope that has permeated throughout our show. One love - BenjiWhere to find us?yourbrothercast.comlinktr.ee/yourbrothercastCheck out our complimentary content for this episode on our websiteyourbrothercast.com/e10CreditsProduction & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan BulbulTheme Songs: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)Visuals and website: Taylan BulbulReggae song: Lawd a Massi by Lou RicardFont (ChemyRetro) by Jay BatchOriginal Photo of Niah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.